July/August 2006 Issue of "The Crucible"
"CSI: Common Sense Ideas"

NFFScope

Have you ever tried to explain to someone who doesn’t know you exactly what it is you do for a living?  The corollary to that question is: have you ever asked yourself what it is you actually do?  Answer those two questions honestly and you may get a different answer than you expect.  

Your foundry is actually in the business of making castings for its customers, right?  But is that all you do?  I think not.  You employ people, give dozens – perhaps even hundreds of families – a chance to live the American dream.  You train your employees, giving even unskilled workers a chance to improve their capabilities and advance in their jobs – and earning potential.  

You’re a supplier to your customers, but more than that you’re a counselor to their business who plays an important part in their business planning, product design, and manufacturing efficiency functions.  When it comes to actually running your business, you’re a salesman, a credit officer, and a prospector for new business opportunities.  You’re a student, a mentor, a leader, a referee, and a guru – often all at once.  

You’re a driver of the economy as a consumer of goods and services – things like energy and raw materials, to almost anything else ranging from paper clips to software and high tech equipment.  You’re a steward of the environment.  You reuse raw materials, monitor your company’s air and water discharges, and minimize your solid wastes for disposal - in part for your own business purposes, but also to be a good neighbor in your community and a good citizen of the planet.  And in the process you give also an army of bureaucrats and regulators something to do – and vice versa.  But of course you may first have to explain to them what it is you actually do.  

Where did you learn all of these skills?  What classes did you take, what formal training did you have that prepared you to handle so many disparate roles all at once?  And how do you find the time to keep up with the latest and greatest ideas and innovations to help keep you ahead of the curve, in front of the competition, and out from behind the eight ball?  

One sure way is by attending an industry event like the upcoming NFFS Annual Meeting at the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson , Nevada this October.  From the 8^th to the 11^th, meeting attendees will explore some Common Sense Ideas to address the most pressing day-to-day problems and challenges facing their businesses.  Along the way, they’ll meet and interact with key industry suppliers to investigate the latest technologies and money-saving business ideas.  

A common misconception about the NFFS Annual Meeting is that you don’t have to be a member in order to attend.  Any non-ferrous foundry owner or manager is welcome to attend. Another is that the meeting is just an expensive vacation.  It’s not.  It’s an investment in yourself and in your business, and one that attendees routinely tell NFFS pays immediate dividends to their company.  

The meeting brochure with the full program and registration details is included in this issue.  You owe it to yourself – and to your foundry – to see what’s on the agenda, and to plan to attend.  Attending the meeting will help you run your foundry more profitably and efficiently.  In fact, I can practically guarantee it will make your job easier – no matter what you think your job really is.

Energy Conservation in Foundry Ventilation         By:  Bob Scholz and Tom Jancek, RMT, Inc.

Foundries are challenged to confront the rising costs of their high-energy usage by conserving energy wherever possible.  As a major component of the foundry energy picture, ventilation energy deserves careful scrutiny to identify energy saving opportunities.  While conducting a ventilation energy assessment, it is important to keep in mind the other considerations besides energy that ventilation must address.  These considerations include complying with local codes, industrial hygiene regulations (OSHA), environmental regulations (EPA), and heating, ventilating and air conditioning requirements (HVAC).  Consequently, a meaningful discussion of ventilation energy conservation in foundries must be set in the framework of a compliant foundry facility.  In that context, foundry experience has shown that ventilation methods which produce acceptable air quality are also capable of being energy efficient.  On the other hand, misapplied, inadequate ventilation can lead to air quality non‑compliance as well as energy waste.   

The manner in which energy is employed to maintain air quality in a foundry facility varies dramatically from foundry to foundry.  Factors which affect ventilation configuration include, among other things, type of metal cast and casting size, mold and core methods, process equipment layout, degree of automation, material flow, production rate, building configuration, and climate.  Existing foundry ventilation systems range from systems which have evolved piecemeal and haphazardly to well designed, integrated systems.  During the course of development of foundry ventilation, few standardized approaches have emerged.  Consequently, it is very difficult to express any meaningful, general energy/air quality relationships for foundries.  Perhaps the best starting point is the realization that such relationships do exist and need to be quantified.  Understanding the parameters of those relationships could lead to insights concerning viable energy conservation approaches.......

Defensecastingsuppliers.com : New Business Opportunities for the Cast Metals Industry              By:  Ryan J. Moore, Members Services Director

The United States federal government is the world’s largest buyer of supplies and services.  In FY ‘04, the government spent in excess of $106 billion on manufactured goods. Moreover, of the 50 federal government agencies that make these purchases, the largest buyer continues to be the Department of Defense (DoD).  

The buyers within the DoD are the military services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) and the Defense Logistics Agency ( DLA ).  DLA supplies the US military services and several civilian agencies with logistical support including the acquisition of spare and repair parts for weapon systems. NFFS is part of the American Metalcasting Consortium ( AMC ) which partners with DLA and the cast metals industry to provide resources that stimulate cost reductions, quality, and market share growth.   

The DoD struggles with buying parts that contain metal castings. In fact, DLA Supply Centers report that castings contribute to a significant portion of backorder parts within the current procurement system. This is often due to gaps in the supply chain that arise from a lack of tooling, capable suppliers, diminishing domestic manufacturing supply base, or simply no responses to solicitations. It has a significant affect on administrative lead-times, resulting in unnecessary costs and a reduction in weapon system readiness.  

The Tooling Database project was NFFS’s first step to directly assist DLA in reducing backorders by cataloging existing defense-related patterns and suppliers for procurement personnel. The tooling database provides the foundry the opportunity to receive follow on orders that they may not have received otherwise. Despite the database’s continued value to both government and industry, if a pattern can not be located in the tooling database, the supply center or prime contractor still needs to identify a capable supplier to manufacture the part.

Industry Briefs

Tri Program To Require NAICS Code Reporting:                  The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that owners and operators of facilities subject to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting must identify their principal business activities using North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes beginning with reports due July 1, 2007 , for releases and other waste management activities for the 2006 calendar year.  

Call For Papers:                                                                    The American Foundry Society (AFS) Technical Division is accepting abstract submissions for the technical session program for the 111^th Metalcasting Congress being held in Houston May 15-18, 2007 .  All papers must be relevant to the metalcasting industry, covering topics such as operations, new technologies, procedures, processes and other innovations, and must contribute to the enhancement of metalcasting quality and productivity.  Abstracts are due August 15, 2006 , and complete manuscripts are due October 1, 2006 . 

CDA Global Market Trends Conference Announced:            The Fifth Annual CDA Global Market Trends Conference will be held at the Wyndham Drake Hotel in Oak Brook , IL from September 6^th to 8^th.  The conference has an interesting list of speakers covering topics including:  

• The Impact of Emerging Markets on Global Copper Supply and Demand

• The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy

• What Companies Around the World Are Doing to Make It in Today’s Global Economy

• Material Usage in Building Products, Trends in the Commercial and Residential Markets

• How Die Cast Copper Rotors are Revolutionizing the Motor Industry

• The U.S. Economic Outlook 

One Source Announces Ownership Consolidation:              One Source, headquartered in Newark , New Jersey , has announced that Douglas Reichard has purchased all of the shares owned by his former partner John Burk.  Included in the purchase are his shares in Federal Bronze Casting Industries, Newark , NJ and Fox Hills Industries, Huntington Beach , CA .  Except for Reichard now becoming President of the firm, all other management remains the same, including Frank Reilly as a managing partner.

Wyrwas Aluminum Industries Celebrates 40 Years:               On June 14^th, more than 100 industry friends, suppliers and customers assembled to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Wyrwas Aluminum Industries, Inc..  When the company was founded in Cleveland , Ohio by current President and Owner Ed Wyrwas, it operated out of a garage.  Today, it employs more than 25 people at a site adjacent to the Cleveland Metropolitan Zoo.  

A special guest at the anniversary luncheon, NFFS Executive Director commended the company and its founder, noting “Running a successful foundry today take a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of dedication, and a lot of commitment.  For 40 years, Wyrwas Aluminum’s customers, employees, and the entire non-ferrous metal casting industry have benefited from Ed Wyrwas’s efforts.”  Since 2005, the day-to-day management of the company has rested in the capable hands of Ed Wyrwas, Jr.

Plant Closings:                                                                   Atlas Casting Company, Inc. announced that it would close its doors as of May 31, 2006 .  According to company President Steve Eyermann, after 37 years in operation the decision to close was made due to the downturn of the metal casting industry in America .  

Fort Wayne Foundry announced plans to close its Pontiac Street plant due to a reduction in anticipated production of GM’s Gen IV water pump, which has reached the end of its life cycle.  The company plans to downsize in stages over 12 months beginning in May, 2006.  The Pontiac location is the only location scheduled to be closed.

Product News

Ashland Releases Arena-Flow® Version 6.0:       Enhancements to Arena-flow computer-aided engineering software for the metal castings industry have been released by Ashland Casting Solutions, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH). A new installation wizard and Graphical User Interface (GUI) redesign are just two of the new developments featured in the Arena-flow 6.0 software version.  

“With Arena-flow version 6.0, users have process specific options for engineering models, sand defaults, particle and porous media solvers and grid generator settings based on solver methodology,” said Mike Swartzlander, vice president, Ashland Specialty Chemical, and general manager, Ashland Casting Solutions. “The improvements now available in version 6.0 provide users with several additional tools to improve productivity and reduce costs. 

Hydraulic Tilt Aluminum Melting Furnace:         Thermtronix® hydraulic tilt energy efficient aluminum melting furnaces are available in both Solid State Electric and Gas Fired models.  Tilt furnaces are ideal for large pours and labor saving molten metal handling.  These rugged foundry proven furnaces are available in sizes from 400 lbs. through 3,000 lbs.  UL Listed furnace controls provide added value and safety while fully automatic process temperature control assures the highest quality aluminum is produced at the lowest possible cost.  

For more information, contact:  Vince Danega, Thermtronix® Corporation; Phone: 760-246-4500; Fax: 760-246-4550; Toll Free: 888-624-6358; e-Mail: sales@thermtronix.com; Web Site: http://thermtronix.com; 

Trend Alert:  Health Care Costs Continue to Rise

According to Mercer’s recently released 2005 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, United States employers are expected to spend an average of $7,564 per employee in 2006 for health benefits.  This number represents an increase of 6.7 percent over the amount of $7,089 paid in 2005.  The increase between 2004 and 2005 amounted to 6.1 percent. When we look at the 7.5 percent increase between 2003 and 2004 and the 14.7 percent increase between 2002 and 2003, the 6.7 percent does not seem like a lot.  However, when compared to the previous year, we notice that the rate of increase grew by more than 10 percent.